


By any other name

by lunar3s



Series: Of strangler figs and other stories [2]
Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: 3RACHA, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Domestic, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Polyamory, Romance, Vampires, Werewolves, they're all in love but some pairings might be more prominent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-21
Updated: 2019-09-06
Packaged: 2020-05-15 19:46:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19302586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunar3s/pseuds/lunar3s
Summary: Witch covens were the most prominent form of social organizations out there, to have a pack of wolves and witches was not really the norm.To have a pack of wolves and STRAY witches was even stranger.To have a vampire, two of the seelie kind and an elven as well was practically unheard of.Stray kids stay together and even if they're mostly made out of witches; they're not a coven, not a traditional pack and definetely not a seelie court.





	1. Red strings

Wolves were social creatures, they depended on others for comfort and happiness, for a wolf to be alone in the world it would mean to die wasting away in the worst imaginable pain, no one there to hold them or love them, nothing to hold on to.

Jisung was not really alone, his parents called him every day and tried to give him as much love and attention they could from a distance, but there was no one he held dear at his new university, to travel on his own to live so far away from his family was hard but he needed to do this one thing for himself, he needed to find a pack of his own, to move on with life; to grow up.

The days were not so hard, he busied himself with classes and chatted away with classmates, he studied at the library where people always gathered and sat down for meals on restaurants that were bursting with people, their noise and hassle keeping him sane. Nights on the other hand, those were always unbearable to him, he had to go to his tiny apartment and try to fill the silence with nothing but an old stereo and the beat of his heart, no one to talk to or listen to, only him and his fears, his wolf shrinking into itself.

This had been his routine for the first two months of living away in Seoul; just go to class, spend all the time possible out, and then go home and to cry himself to sleep.

That was until he accidently managed to run straight a stranger on the street, making him drop his thermo and spill the contents of it all over the both of them.

“Oh my god! Is this blood?” His poor heart had almost given up on him at the sight of red staining them both

“I’m so sorry, didn’t see you there” The stranger, very obviously a vampire, said flustered “Oh, your shirt! I’m so sorry we both look like we got mauled or something, my bad”

“oh no, sorry I made you spill your breakfast” Jisung laughed, they did indeed look like a crime scene in the middle of the street “I should make it up to you, get you a… well, I was going to say coffee but I don’t know if that’ll cut it”

“I mean, you don’t have to, but a coffee will definitely help” The vampire laughed, the sound of it made Jisung’s heart ache with something akin to love “Thought we might need to change first, leave it for other time”

“Sure, no, I mean it” Jisung hurried to get his phone out and hand it to the vampire “Put your number in it, I’ll definitely get you a coffee”

“You really mean it, eh?” The vampire laughed again, it was music to Jisung’s ears “I saved myself as Chan, broccoli emoji”

“Thank you, I’m Jisung” His hand was out to shake in a flash, never mind how much he must have looked like a lost pup, he almost melted at the brief contact “Expect a text from me soon”

“As long as you don’t bite” Chan said in a mocking tone “I’ll be waiting then, go on your way”

“Thank you, sorry again” Jisung said with a small smile, he waved at Chan as he tried to remember where he was supposed to go now “See you around”

“See you around” Chan waved at him and went on his own way.

To say Jisung stood there for a while, contemplating how in the world he had managed to make such an encounter work in his favor then no one needed to know, no matter that later he would come back to the moment and cry of joy at how such a random event had managed to lead him home, to his pack and to his family, to a new world that he never knew was possible for someone like him.

To spill a cup of blood on Chan’s white button up had saved his life, little did he know, as he stood looking at the new contact on his phone, that he had somehow saved Chan’s life back.

 

* * *

 

 

Changbin was a creature of habit, it helped him to keep everything aligned just right and as a caligo witch to be aligned was less than a personal preference and more of an essential need, to be out of order meant he was free real state for darkness, to get consumed by the one thing he loved the most seemed a little too cruel of an ending for him.

So yeah, he kept to his schedules like a maniac; he woke up at 8am and drank his coffee black, went to classes and talked to no one, came back home and read a chapter of a book of magic, did his extra credits and homework, wrote a letter to his mother while he ate dinner, wrote half a song, brushed his teeth and went to bed.

This was him, what he did.

And then it was not.

“Ah… are you Changbin?” The wolf asked him, his orange hair was shiny and distracting “I’m sorry to get you like this but, uh… professor Im said you could help me with this assignment, maybe.”

“Professor Im?” Changbin head was properly spinning, she had asked him to be her TA last semester, maybe this was part of her plan to convince him this time around “I’m sorry, but my schedule is really tight and I don’t think I can make any space, even if I wanted to help you…”

“Jisung, my name is Jisung” The wolf said, his face falling at his words.

“I’m sorry, Jisung. I can’t help you” Changbin sighed, he was too busy for this, he was already late for lunch “If you excuse me, maybe you should ask her for someone else to work with”

“You don’t even know what I need help with” Jisung pouted, it was ridiculous, and kind of cute.

“I don’t have the time” Changbin repeated, were all wolves this annoying? He couldn’t remember.

“What if you do it via your phone? I just need a senior to listen to my tracks and give me feedback”

It would be a lie to say Changbin had rolled his eyes at this and managed to keep his cool, that he walked away from the annoying wolf and then went along with his life, yeah, a lie, because in the most cliché of ways the wolf had whipped out some serious puppy eyes at him, it had made him see stars and had dizzied him so much he somehow had relented and given him his phone number, managing to throw his whole life upside down.

Changbin was a creature of habit, and very rarely he made any changes into his routine, so if he now had to add “talking to Jisung on the phone about their shared undying love for music” in between having his dinner and writing half a ~~love~~ song then it was nobody’s business.

 

* * *

  
Vampires were not as common, not anymore, neither were they as accepted. No longer were they the crazy eccentrics that lived in big mansions and threw extravagant dinner parties, not since Oscar had managed to somehow poison himself, neither were they the bloodthirsty psychopaths that spiked people on their backyards, not since old Vlad had gotten excomunicado and hunted,  neither were they used as tools and soldiers anymore, not since Adolf had finally done the world a favor and offed himself.

Nowadays they were just old and tired civilians in a world that kept its reservations when it came to them, some rotten apples had left an indent in the public’s opinion of them.

And goddess was Chan old, and tired.

So tired.

To vampires he was but a child, still too young to call himself an adult, too old to call himself a fledging, he was a boring centurian that decided to leave his old coven back in Australia to go looking for luck somewhere else.

To try to get his life in order in urban and magic dense Seoul was definitely not his best idea ever.

Back in Australia he’d been well known, his family was old and established and he’d been turned way back when the registration acts were not on duty yet, he was family and sick, they’d have turned him anyways. It was okay for him to be who he was and as he was, studying art and music and playing sports with his siblings.

Here he was a stranger, other, Seoul seemed overrun by witches and wolves, vampires were few and most of them seemed to keep to themselves, the city was not used to them or their habits, the history books perpetuating an image of them to the public that made some of them keep their distance when talking to him and even some few souls that were scared of him.

If they only knew he was but a boring curator at the museum of magical artefacts and ancients arts, that he couldn’t drink coffee without milk because it was too bitter, or that the last time he’d had a drink directly from the source had been the night of his turning; straight from his own father’s wrist, plasma packets straight from donation banks from then on.

Chan was boring and old, and tired.

 Gaia was he tired!

Saying vampires needed no sleep was lie, they slept a lot less than other beings but they still needed the rest, if he was lucky he’d get 2 hours a night, 2 hours a week if the fates were against him. They were also very social between them, not solitary and gloomy, and they didn’t straight up burn in the sun even if they were more sensible to it. Chan was such a mess that people often confused him with a college kid, not too far from the truth.

For him to get home and lay dramatically on his couch as the 7PM news played in the background was the closest thing he had to a routine; to allow the time of the day to pity himself and think that maybe he shouldn’t have left home.

Ding! His phone vibrated on his chest.

 **JSquirrel:** Hyung! Are you still taking me for lunch tomorrow?

 **BroccoliChan:** Yes, at 1:30pm, right?

 **JSquirrel:** hell yeah!

 **JSquirrel:** Actually….

 **JSquirrel:** Do you mind if someone joins us?

 **BroccoliChan:** Not really :(

 **JSquirrel:** Don’t

 **JSquirrel:** it’s just

 **JSquirrel:** my tutor? The saver of my life? You know the one? I have a study session before and would be great of me to drag him to lunch as well, you’ll love him.

 **BroccoliChan:** it’s really okay, as long as they’re okay with it

 **JSquirrel:** Thank UUUU!! You’re the best!

 **JSquirrel:** See you tomorrow :3

 **BroccoliChan:** See you.

As Chan put his phone down, he started thinking about his day, about his loneliness and about his new fearless friend, maybe… Just maybe, he’d find a way to not miss his home as much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So 3racha always starting trouble and starting it all


	2. Of fate

The Hwangs were too influential for their own good, they carried centuries of history with them and people looked up at them as they had once been directly blessed by the seelies, luck followed them for a good period of time until the spell had broken but people still believed they were not be messed with, they also believed they were not to befriend or talk to, as they were related to magic that was too old for normal witches to understand or handle, to befriend a Hwang witch friend meant to be always compared to them, forever cursed to feel somewhat less worthy than them.

Pretty much all of the Hwangs were aeris witches, their magic was light and breezy, lovely to look at, so flexible it allowed them to handle pretty much every craft and art on their own, very rarely a Hwang witch would need for other’s help, they were self-reliable and too proud for their own good, overpowering even, as it was somehow a pattern that if a Hwang witch married someone of another nature they would always have aeris children.

That was, until Hyunjin.

To say he’d been a surprise would be an understanding; he’d pretty much had given his grandmother a heart attack.

His nature had been the talk of the town for a good two years after he’d been born; an aqua witch born out of two aeris, not only was he a stranger for Hwang standards; he was a stray witch. They talked about how this meant he was either blessed or cursed, destined for greatness or failure, to be a great witch or an evil one, they just couldn’t make up their mind about him.

He’d spent his childhood being coddled by his parents, who didn’t want him to feel left out no matter how strange of a child he was. To grow old enough to comprehend how different he was had been one of the most challenging times of his life, to feel like a stranger in his own hometown had driven him away, searching for a new place to fit in had been his second-best decision in life.

(His first one had been bonding himself to Kkami, adding insult to injury by getting a familiar when no one else in his school had even thought about them)

Going to college to magic dense and urban Seoul had seemed natural to him, too big of a city for a single witch to stand out, too many ambitious and powerful individuals were around for anyone to take a second look at him and realize who he was and what he was, he just allowed himself to get lost in the crowd for the first time ever, to be no one, to be himself.

It was difficult to feel lonely when he had Kkami by his side, however making friends seemed inevitable, specially when he kept going to the same place for his caffeine dosage and managed to get chatty with one of the cashiers. Minho was tall, handsome and very enthusiastic about his hatred of whipped cream, the fae had refused to serve Hyunjin’s mocha with an extra serving of it the first time they’d met and somehow this had spiraled into them becoming sort of friends.

“Hyunjin! Good to see you back, the usual?” Minho asked him with a smile when he walked into the shop, a little brewery not too far from campus “We’re out of whipping cream today too”

“Oh, shut up, just give me my mocha and stop lying to me” Hyunjin laughed “How’s been today?”

“Regular, not too busy, thank Gaia” Minho answered as he processed Hyunjin’s order and passed it off to one of his coworkers “What about you? Your sigils exams went okay?”

“Great! I didn’t fail it!” Hyunjin opened his back to rummage through it, taking a crumbed paper with a 70% scribbled into it “I’m so glad I made it”

“Congrats, maybe next time you’ll actually get a good grade” Minho wiggled his eyebrows at him “You know, you’re not so lucky Hwang Hyunjin”

“I guess I’m not” Hyunjin laughed, Minho was the only person he allowed to joke about who he was “At least I’m passing my courses”

“Low blow, bro” Minho said and went to grab Hyunjin’s cup to scribble something on it before handing it to him “All done, I hope you enjoy it”

“Thanks, I’ll miss my whipped cream forever but whatever” Hyunjin took the cup and stuck his tongue out to the other boy “See you later, Minho, thank you for your service”

“See you later” Minho smiled, ignoring his jab about whipped cream altogether.

As Hyunjin made his way out of the shop and started walking to the library to finish his homework he remembered Minho had scribbled something on his cup, looking at it now it seemed to be an arrangement of numbers.

His phone number.

With a heart as a dot.

Maybe Hwang witches were forever destined to be blessed by luck, as he laughed and took note of saving the contact on his phone, he thought that maybe it was indeed a Hwang thing to be favored by the Seelie kind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lucky Hyunjin indeed


	3. Connect

For a wolf; Seungmin was a lot less needy than most.

He prided himself on his cool head and orderly manners, people wouldn’t even know he was packless if he didn’t tell them. He carried himself as someone who had his life under control and was not going through the usual crisis that came when wolves were made to leave home and venture the world on their own.  Being packless was painful and confusing but he never allowed it to take him under. He went to classes and spoke to people in a calm voice, never lingered too much on handshakes and he never stared at people that caught his eye; he was a perfect illusion of a well-adjusted individual.

The truth was that he was just too picky, for a wolf.

He had always imagined he would get a good pack, he came from a close knitted but respectable pack and as such he wanted to look into the world for the best it had to offer him; he was not a settler nor he allowed his gut to move him farther than his head. He didn’t allow himself the pleasure of falling head over heels over anyone that was kind to him, he didn’t let people too close if he didn’t know them enough and he kept to himself most of the time he was at campus because college kids were young and stupid and he wanted nothing to do with them even if he was one as well.

His parents worried, of course they did, he was alone after all, but they also understood enough of his personality to just let him be as they tried to meet his needs through the phone and the occasional visit.

He was good being alone until he found the right people, there was no rush. Seungmin was alright; he had standards to hold himself to and no one could change his mind…

Until a bird flew into his face.

“Oh Gaia! I’m so sorry!” The bird, or well; the witch that had knocked him over, said in a rush as he turned back into his human shape “I was in a hurry! Are you okay?”

Seungmin always said he had no time for puppy love. He didn’t. But the feeling that flooded him as he looked up from where the witch had literally knocked him over was indescribable; he was done for. The witch was lanky in a way that was endearing, all long limbs and too small of a face for it to be fair. The final blow that made Seungmin realize this was a fight he was about to lose was the smile; the braces, the shine on his eyes, the everything about his face…

Yes; done for.

“I’m…” The words were stuck on his throat

“Did I hurt you that much? I can’t believe this! I’m so sorry, here let me help you get to the nurse’s office, he’ll fix you right up” The witch said as he crouched down next to Seungmin, he was even prettier up close “I’m sorry, again, I should’ve been more careful, now I’m late anyways and I’ve managed to cause a mess”

“No, I’m fine, you’re fine” Seungmin said as he finally found his grounding “No need to panic, no harm done”

The witch smiled weakly and offered him a hand to help him stand.

Maybe he shouldn’t have taken it.

Seungmin always thought it was kind of undignified to hear stories about how wolves would sometimes cling to people without meaning or a clear reason; imprinting was not unusual but it was embarrassing. He understood when pups did it but almost adults or teens that were unbound or packless he couldn’t excuse.

He never understood it, and now, suddenly; he did. He never wanted to let go of the witch’s hand.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” The witch asked him after he just stood there looking at their locked hands “Maybe we should go to Mr. Lee’s office anyways, just to be sure”

“No! I’m sorry… just… uhhhmm” Seungmin wanted the earth to swallow him whole, he had never been such a mess in his life “You said you were in a hurry, you should go. I’m fine”

“Well, if you let go of my hand maybe I will” The witch laughed, at least he had a sense of humor “I still feel really guilty about this, maybe I can make it up to you? Give you my number or something since you like me enough to not get angry about me assaulting you on campus”

“Would you?” The words were out of his mouth before he could register what he was saying

“Yeah, sure, you’re not the worst person I’ve flew into before” The witch’s cheeky smile almost made Seungmin fall back again “Since I’m already holding your hand, let me shake it. Hello; I’m Jeongin”

“Jeongin…” Even his name was perfect, never mind the way his face was probably getting red as a tomato with the way the situation in front of him was playing out “I’m Seungmin”

“You have a pretty name” Jeongin laughed (it was music on Seungmin’s ears) and finally managed to release himself from the hand hold.

“Sorry about that, I don’t know what took over me” Seungmin apologized, it was the least he could do as the sense started to go back to his head

“Don’t worry, it was cute” Jeongin told him as he took a piece of crumbled paper from his bag and a pink pen, writing his number carefully on it before giving it to him “Here, call me if you want to go out for coffee or something, maybe you need a rabbit for a magic show, whatever”

“Thank you” Seungmin still couldn’t believe this was happening to him but he wasn’t as upset about it as he thought he’d be “I’ll see you around then”

“See you around” Jeongin told him and ran off, a bright smile on his face.

Seungmin prided himself on his cool head and he was way too picky for a wolf, this was who he was, who he’d always been, never one to allow his heart to take him farther than his head allowed, this had been the way he’d decided he was going to live.

But maybe not anymore, he thought, as he looked at the crumpled piece of paper in his hand like it held all the secrets of the universe.

Maybe just this one time he’d let his heart take him wherever it wanted to go.

Like it wasn’t running two miles ahead of his head already.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's just not much you can do against Jeongin


	4. All

Being a stray witch was not something you just went around telling people about, it wasn’t something terrible or unheard of, but witches liked order and predictable; they loved nature because she had patterns they could follow. To be faced with the unexpected made them uncomfortable and what they labeled as strange was to be kept at arm’s length. Changbin was not really hiding this fact about himself, he was a Seo and they were a mostly vulcan family, if people wanted to believe that maybe he was mixed and one of his parents then had to be a caligo then that was their problem, he was not going to correct them.

So, maybe omission was a way of hiding, but he was chronically allergic to attention and stray witches usually were the center of it.

Then Hyunjin happened.

Changbin lived with an open secret yet he was quiet and polite, people barely looked at him twice because of it so they didn’t have time to pry too much into his affairs. Hyunjin however was a Hwang witch, from the core of them, for him to be an aqua witch meant he was another, a stranger; a stray.

To see him walking around campus while people whispered about him made Changbin want to hide and never come out, it drove the point home that he was different and while no one would treat him badly they would treat him _some way_ , he would rather keep to his small group of ~~lovers? Pack?~~  friends and keep quiet.

“Oh hi! Is this seat taken?”

Maybe Changbin was unlucky or maybe he just had a sign on his forehead that told lost people to go to him because no other than Hwang Hyunjin was now taking a seat on his small corner table at the campus’ lunch room.

“I’m sorry to inconvenience you like this but all of the tables are taken by… well, nosier people. You seem quiet and nice” The boy said with a small laugh, it made Changbin want to run with the way it traveled down his spine “I’m Hyunjin”

“I know” Changbin answered, and then realized that was probably rude, he could hear Jisung scolding him in his ear “I’m Changbin”

“Nice to meet you, guess the gossip does travel fast around here” Hyunjin blushed and lowered his head “Maybe I should bring Kkami next week and just let it all out in the open”

“Kkami?” He asked, he didn’t know why he was entertaining the Hwang witch, he didn’t want his own secrets out.

“My familiar” The boy answered “I know, couldn’t be more of a freak”

“I don’t think you’re a freak, people just need to mind their own business” Changbin sighed, go figure that Hyunjin would be soul bonded as well “But yeah, pushing your luck there, you little Hwang Witch.”

“Don’t talk to me about luck” Hyunjin pouted and then gave him a smile that could rival Jisung’s, it lit up the room “I think I like you, Changbin, and I don’t know if you’ll like this; but I think I’m going to keep you”

“Lucky me, then” Changbin joked, little did he know Hyunjin was completely and irrevocably honest with his words.

 

* * *

 

 

Changbin didn’t know how on earth he’d managed to befriend Chan, they were so different and yet so similar, Jisung had forced him into lunch one day and suddenly the three of them were talking every other day and planning outings for coffee and lunch.

Chan was calm and comforting most of the time but he had this soft childish side about him that charmed Changbin into ~~maybe possibly~~ falling a little bit in love.

Jisung was in the middle of them, all happiness and energy that couldn’t be contained, a link between Changbin’s outer shell and his actual personality that made the other boys incredibly happy, the Changbin they knew at the beginning was starting to melt away, all the shadows that surrounded him were being cast out by the other boys’ light.

This would be easy, he thought, if maybe Hyunjin wasn’t also a shining beacon of positivity that was slowly finding a way into his life. The other boy had made good of his promise to keep Changbin; he kept showing up out of nowhere to hang with him and onto him whenever he could, he’d introduced him to Kkami (the cutest thing he’d ever seen), and talked his ears off whenever he failed an exam or his teachers were giving him a hard time.

As Hwang witches came; Hyunjin was not the luckiest of the bunch.

“I keep telling you; it’s the nerves!” Changbin scolded the other witch as they went over one of his failed divination exams “You told me all of this last week and you knew the answers, you need more focus”

“Maybe I’m just not good enough, who decided being a professional beast master was a good idea? This is all Min’s fault, him and his cats getting ideas into my head” Hyunjin cried as he allowed himself to be swallowed by one of the library’s floor puffs “Maybe I’ll become an enhancer, I’m pretty enough for it; that’s what they all say”

“But that’s not what you want and you’re talented enough; you’re going to be fine. Besides… you’re not that pretty, you vain water bug” Changbin said as he regretted every life choice that had led him to that moment “Now, stop being dramatic and get out of here, I’m waiting for an actual friend”

“Ouch! Kick me when I’m down!” The other witch feigned offense but made no move to leave “Have I told you that I really like you? Because I do, Changbin, I think I’m going to keep you”

“Yes, you’ve told me those exact words like twenty times by now and I’ve only known you for like a month” Changbin laughed, he found it endearing but would never admit it.

“Binnie!”

An orange head of hair suddenly appeared in front of him and a pair of arms found their way around his neck, Jisung got needy when he hadn’t seen them in a while; his wolf nature made him too affectionate and touchy, to think old “dark” Changbin would enjoy such company would be insane, and yet; here they were.

“I missed you” Jisung said and then moved to sit in front of him. Then he noticed Hyunjin. “Who are you?”

“Hi, I’m Hyunjin” The other boy said with a bright smile.

This seemed to surprise Jisung, an amused smile illuminated his face.

“Oh, the other stray” The comment made both of the witches still “Didn’t know you liked to stick together, thought maybe you’d rather not call any more attention to each other, but guess it makes sense, better not stray too far away, got it”

“What?” Hyunjin was suddenly looking alert and at Changbin like his whole world was shifting.

“I was going to tell you” Changbin’s words left his mouth without his permission, this was not how he wanted it.

Hyunjin’s eyes were burning him, he was looking at him like he was a stranger, another, a whole other person he had never met and talked to. He felt right then and there like he was being reevaluated, because suddenly the truth was out and he’d been caught in his omission.

He’d been caught in his lie.

“I’m going to go” Hyunjin said and did just that, no time for anyone to talk him out of it, or to stop him.

He didn’t look back.

“Bin… I didn’t know he didn’t know; I didn’t mean anything bad by it” Jisung said, and Changbin knew he was honest, he couldn’t even be mad at him for it “I’m so sorry”

“Don’t be, it’ll pass” Changbin wanted to believe himself, but maybe he couldn’t anymore; he was a liar after all.

Hyunjin didn’t look back.

 

* * *

 

 

He’d never been hurt like this before, maybe it was because he never expected it (how could he?) but he felt like he had both no right to be as upset as he was and all of the right to be as hurt as he was.

Had he been but a joke to the other witch?

“Look, here, have it” Minho said as he sat down in front of him on his dark gloomy corner of the coffee shop “I can’t take this anymore, your moping is scaring our clients away”

Not anyone in the world had the privilege to say they had made Hyunjin cry; if only the world knew that all it took was a little heartbreak and a cup of coffee with extra whipping cream placed in front of him, little pink flowers delicately drawn on the paper sleeve.

“Oh Gaia, please stop” Minho shoved a handful of napkins on his face, flustered “Whatever you want I’ll do, just… Stop crying!”

“I’m sorry” Hyunjin sniffled “I’m so sorry, I just can’t believe he lied to me; I hate liars”

“Hyunjin, what happened?” Minho wasn’t usually this delicate, but maybe his tears had softened him.

“So… I told you about my friend, the one who tells me the same things you do about my academics, got him?” Minho nodded at his question, he’d practically gushed at him about Changbin “He’s like me, a stray, and he never told me. He was just playing with me!”

“Did he say that?” Minho asked.

“His other friend slipped in front of me and accidentally revealed the truth, he was lying to me! Playing with me! How could he do such a thing?” Hyunjin started to tear up again “I hate him”

“Ok, what was his name again? I’ll fight him for you” Minho patted his hands and then got up to ruffle his hair.

“Don’t fight Changbin! You’re too mean” Hyunjin snapped in alarm.

“Maybe I will, maybe I won’t”

Minho looked straight into his eyes for a second and then kissed him on the forehead, this made Hyunjin’s heart entirely freeze, a warm calming sensation spreading thought his body and allowing him to stop thinking about his hurt for a moment; he felt his little broken heart mend a little bit.

 It would have been one of his more precious moments if Minho hadn’t decided to flick his forehead right after.

“Now, get out of here, I have work to do”

“I think I love you” Hyunjin said but complied, taking his sad coffee and his sad attitude out of the coffee shop.

He didn’t look back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah Changbin, always breaking hearts. 
> 
> Also I had to break this chapter, because it was too long so yeah; part 2 coming soon.


	5. Of

Fridays were always insane for Minho, college kids really didn’t know how to behave and it drove him up the walls that they would come into his coffee shop and ask him for sweet drinks before a night of partying or doing whatever sad loner kids did instead, he’d told JB to change the menu and allow him to sell only black coffee at the shop but the owner had only laughed at him and patted his hair like he was a child; he would never understand witches.

Witches were confusing and while he liked them a whole lot more than he liked, let’s say wolves, he still tried to keep them at arm’s length.

 Hyunjin was the exception.

Maybe Hwang witches were just that lucky or maybe it was the way his eyes made Minho feel butterflies fill his stomach, or how his laugh made him think world peace was possible after all, he didn’t know exactly what made the witch so special but he was kind of in love with him.

Against all judgement Minho had found himself falling for a witch, maybe if they weren’t as fragile then his day wouldn’t be so bad, he wouldn’t be worrying about the witch’s heart or about how to fix it after all. A witch had broken it and now he couldn’t fix it.

He should’ve kept them at arm’s length.

His day started to look more promising when a chaos kid walked into the shop and managed to get a small laugh out of him. The kid was short but nicely built, he maybe would be handsome if he wasn’t making faces at the way he couldn’t seem to be able to quite carry the big bouquet of flowers he was balancing along a big gift box and a balloon with some sigils on it that Minho couldn’t decipher.

“Welcome, what can I get you?” Minho asked with the most professional voice he could manage at the moment, a ghost of a laugh still behind it.

“An extra-large mocha, with extra whipped cream, please” The kid ordered, his hands struggling to keep all of his things together as he fished for his wallet.

“Oh! We’re out of whipped cream” He lied as he tried to keep the disgust off his face, the order was familiar and he would never understand how people could drink such a thing.

“No, you can’t be” The kid refuted, his movements still erratic “I need it to be exactly like that or it won’t work”

Minho looked at the kid and then took note of the desperation on his face, the way everything seemed to be working against him and it all somehow managed to soften him enough that he sighed and wrote down the kid’s order just as he’d asked.

“Okay maybe there’s some on the back I’ll get just for you this once” He said as he charged him.

It was just his luck that Hyunjin decided this was a good moment to walk into the shop, Minho was never going to hear the end of it when he handed this stranger the one order he’d always refused to make for Hyunjin.

“What name on the order?” He asked as he tried not to look at the Hwang witch.

“Changbin” The kid answered and suddenly all made sense.

 The flowers, the apology gifts, the coffee order that Minho knew to heart; it all made sense.

If asked about it, Minho would forever say he doesn’t remember what took over his body after that, he was a professional and a fae, and he had never in his life acted out in anyway…

But right that second…

He let his mischief and his anger carry him out.

“Oh, so you’re Changbin?” He asked as he poured extra milk into the drink to make sure it wouldn’t be too hot.

“Do I know you?” The witch asked, confused by the shift in Minho’s tone.

Minho was not cruel by nature but he could be, and as he took Hyunjin’s order and poured it over the chaos kid’s head he decided that sometimes it was more of a need than anything else.

“Minho!” Hyunjin screamed at him as he watched the scene unfold in front of him “Oh Gaia! Changbin!”

“I’m going to guess he’s a friend of yours? The one _Min with the cats_ , maybe?” The chaos kid asked, his face was shocked but there wasn’t anger in him “Guess I deserved that”

“Yes, you did” Minho answered him.

“No, you didn’t” Hyunjin refuted, his hands franticly fishing for napkins to dry the other witch’s face “Minho, I can’t believe you. I told you not to fight Changbin!”

“I didn’t. I just accidently spilled your drink on his face” Minho defended himself “He broke your heart; it was the least I could do”

“He’s right, you know? I deserved worse” Changbin said, he seemed to be taking the whole situation with a lot more grace than anyone else “I’m glad that you have friends by your side, I was afraid I had left you hurt and alone, I couldn’t forgive myself”

“You lied to me” Hyunjin was still trying to get the whipped cream off the other’s face, his hand stilling by his cheek to almost cradle it “I hate liars so much, but I can’t hate you. Why?”

“I was afraid. I’m not brave like you. I got used to it being a secret and I forgot you were on my side” Changbin answered, at least his words seemed honest “I’m sorry, Hyunjin. I’m not asking you to take me back as a friend or even talk to me ever again, but I want you to know I never meant to hurt you and that I was going to tell you, just never knew how. I wasn’t playing you or using you. More than losing you what haunts me it’s the thought that what I caused could still be hurting you”

“Oh wow, you’re good with words” Minho whistled as he leaned on the counter, he liked what he was hearing.

Judging by the way Hyunjin was looking at the other witch like he was responsible for the sun to rising every morning, he was liking it as well.

“I hate you” Hyunjin said, even though his eyes were brimming with adoration “You’re a dumb shadow thing and a liar, and I hate you. But also, I think I love you, and that’s why the whole thing hurt me so bad. Changbin, I think I love you.”

“Good, I think I might love you too” Changbin smiled at him.

“We have a problem, though” Hyunjin’s eyes traveled back to Minho “I think I love him too”

“Oh, ew!” Minho said, even if a red blush was creeping on his neck and ears and his heart felt like it was going to burst.

“Not really a problem, he spilled a drink on me because I hurt you, that makes him great in my eyes” Changbin laughed “Also, you know about Chan and Jisung, we could get to know each other better…”

“Unless he’s bonded already” Hyunjin’s eyes were still glued to Minho, inspecting his gestures “Are you?”

“No, but I’m not getting bound any time soon” Minho answered, his shoulders tense “Not even for you”

“Oh”

“It’s not… I’m just not ready yet, I don’t think so” Minho continued, trying to make it clear that the witches were not the problem “I am indeed a little bit in love with you, I gave you whipped cream and all for Gaia’s sake, but it’s good, I’m glad for you if you find a coven after all, you deserve it.”

“You said yet” Changbin pointed out as he held Hyunjin’s hands “I just met you Minho but I already like you, give it some thought, maybe. No pressure”

“Yeah! Maybe just think about it” Hyunjin repeated, his voice full of resolve, he was not giving up yet.

It seemed everything was just a little bit too much for them all, as a sigh escaped all of them at the same time. Swaying was a long and strange process for covens to go through, especially when non-witches were involved, it was almost as complicated as packbounding and there was always a chance they would start pulling instead and that the coven bound wouldn’t take. The fae were especially difficult to bound to and Minho didn’t want to take the risk, no matter if he kind of wanted it, to be pulled would destroy him.

“Maybe” He answered honestly, there was no way he would be able to think about anything else “Now get out of my store, I have to clean the floor and the afternoon rush is coming”

“Thank you” Changbin looked straight into his soul as he spoke “For being by Hyunjin’s side, even before I hurt him, he would never shut up about you, you’re a great friend and I’m happy that he has you by your side. I hope to get to know you better, even if you don’t bound with us; you seem like a great person.”

Then Changbin bowed to him.

“Gaia!” both Hyunjin and Minho gasped.

Witches bowed as signs of respect, and it was very rare for them to do so to other witches that were younger than them or came from families that were less prominent. To bow to another being was not something they did often, and it was incredibly high praise. Praise Minho definitely thought he didn’t deserve.

“Well, we’ll see you around” Hyunjin said as he tried to stop things from going further, it was a mess already and the shade of red on both Minho and Changbin’s face couldn’t be healthy “I’ll be back, Min. Take care!”

“See you” He whispered, still in awe.

Minho would never admit that it was that moment that made him really think about it, to risk it all for the two witches that hurriedly left the shop as the whispered to each other about what had just happened and the idea of actually trying to sway each other, it was madness, but it was also the truth. Hyunjin he knew he liked already, but Changbin… to see a witch so humble made him think that everything could be possible, to have a witch bow to him was something he never thought was possible, the same way he thought bonding would never happen to him.

And yet...


	6. Us

Felix was not afraid of people, he really wasn’t. He was just shy and quiet, always on his guard as the world seemed to be against him. If he jumped when people talked to him, or spent five minutes shaking in his boots before ordering a cup of coffee then it was no one’s business but his own. He was not afraid of people, he was just fae and strange; a stranger.

Spending his entire life in another country made it especially difficult to move to Seoul, all bright and bursting at the seams with magic, both natural and crafted, it was the perfect mix of old traditional charms and shiny modern enchantments. There were witches and wolves wherever he went, untouched and the occasional vampire could also be seen every now and then, but the only other fae he’d ever seen worked at a small coffee shop by his college campus and he’d almost had a full blown panic attack the last time he’d tried to enter the place; it was quite popular and therefore way too crowded for him.

For a fae, Felix was too timid. Too small. Too much but also not enough. If only his parents could see him. As he laid down by a tree to rest and bask in the sun he wondered if they would be proud of the person he’d become; he was a great student, he kept his apartment tidy, and he had a healthy diet that didn’t include alcohol or drugs. He was perfect. He was fine.

He was also alone.

Oh, so alone.

He hadn’t tried to make friends. He couldn’t. His voice was still shaky when he had to talk to others, and his words got all mixed up sometimes, people would just stare at him as he talked to them in fae without realizing and then they laughed at him. It hurt him, but he tried his best not to let it show. He was alone because he was new, he was fae, and he was afraid.

Gaia, he was so afraid!

“Don’t you dare!” A voice resonated over his head.

He was laying under a tree, all full of small white flowers that reminded him of home. As he looked up, he noticed he was not alone; a boy about his age was sitting on a branch near the very top, it was so high it made Felix’s heart start racing. The boy was not yelling at Felix but to a small tabby cat that was resting near him, his body posed ready to pounce.

“What have I told you about jumping strangers?” The boy asked the cat as he made his way down the tree.

“Careful!” Felix couldn’t help himself.

The boy smiled at him.

“I’m great at this” The boy demonstrated by jumping off the last couple of branches and landing quietly on his feet “See? But thank you for the concern”

“Sorry” Both Felix and the cat said at the same time.

“Wait…” Felix looked at the cat with suspicion now “Are you a witch?”

“Definitely, yes” The witch said as he shook his cat form away, a scrawny little boy revealing himself “Sorry about wanting to pounce you, you smelled familiar and my cat sight is not really that good”

“It’s fine” Felix answered, taking in the way the witch’s eyes disappeared in half-moons as he smiled.

“Either way, you need to stop surprising people like that, one day you’ll get into trouble” The other boy scolded him.

“He said it was fine” The witch answered and stuck his tongue to the other, making Felix laugh.

“Wow”

“Gaia”

Both the witch and the other boy had frozen at the sound, making Felix immediately aware of the fact that he was surrounded by strangers and making his heart start racing again, his palms sweating at the attention, thinking maybe he’d done something wrong.

“You have a beautiful laugh” The witch said.

“Really, really pretty” The other boy agreed.

Felix was blushing like a tomato, also shaking like a leaf. He’d been used to people ignoring him or giving him weird looks, to have two pretty boys giving him attention was making him want to run and hide.

“I’m sorry I almost attacked you” The witch said “I’m also sorry for what’s about to happen, because I can see Seungmin’s ears getting as red as your face and this puppy falls face first into these things”

“I do not!” The other boy, Seungmin, said with indignation lacing his voice “I just… do you study here? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before”

“History of magic, yes” Felix’s voice was weak and starting to tremble “I keep to myself, sorry”

“You don’t have to apologize for everything, you know?” The witch said, making Felix jump a little.

“Jeongin! Don’t be rude!” Seungmin said, and without warning he took Felix’s hand, probably to stop him from sprinting away “I’m sorry about my friend, he was raised by racoons on the forest”

“Hey! You’re the one from the actual forest, shut up” The witch, Jeongin, defended himself and then smiled at the sight of their hands “He’s not letting you go now”

“What?!” Felix was not sure what was happening anymore.

“Ah! Gaia! Why did you let me grab him!?” Seungmin asked as Jeongin laughed at him, his face was so red it was hard for Felix to be scared of the boy in front of him “I’m a wolf”

“Oh” this new knowledge made everything clear for Felix, except… “But I’m not… I’m nothing to look at, least of all imprint on”

“Shut up” Jeongin said “Are you playing?”

“Are you mad?” Seungmin asked him, cradling Felix’s shaking hands into his own “You’re beautiful”

“Stop” Felix heart was racing, but this time it wasn’t from fear or anxiety, it was a whole new feeling he couldn’t (and didn’t) want to name “You have a witch already, I’m surely not someone you’ll want. You’ll be bored of me in a day, you’ll see”

“Want to bet?” Seungmin asked him, his eyes burning “I’m serious, give me a week and if I’m not bored of you and you’re not bored of us… you’ll go on a date with us?”

“A week?” Felix was shocked, but there was something ugly and similar to hope crawling on his chest “Sure, just don’t blame me when you run away in a day or two”

“it’s a deal… uh…?”

“Felix” The fae answered.

“It’s a deal then, Felix” Seungmin and Jeongin both said at the same time.

“I’m going to charm you off your feet” Jeongin added, his smile already working its magic on Felix.

“Most surely, we’re not letting you go” Seungmin said, resolute, his enthusiasm also doing wonders on their favor.

As much as he denied it; Felix was afraid of people. He was new and young and strange. He was too shy to start conversations, too jumpy for people’s comfort, too small for them to take seriously but also too bright for them to dismiss. He was strange and a stranger. He was terrified most of the time, and alone.

Oh, he was so alone.

But now, standing under a big tree on campus and cornered by a witch and wolf he felt a little bit braver, they were talking nonsense but it was making its way to Felix’s core, scaring his own fears away, making him feel welcomed and wanted for a second, even if it wasn’t meant to last; it was shiny and warm and giving him something akin to hope.

Maybe he didn’t need to be alone.

Maybe he could learn to be a little bit brave.

 

* * *

 

 

Against all odds Felix finds himself in the middle of the week trying to think of a place to take his two new friends ( ~~courters, love interests, boyfriends to be???~~ ) out for a date. He’d been too afraid before to actually explore all of the wonders that Seoul had to offer him, but after two days of being ambushed on his lunch break by Seungmin and Jeongin, and being walked back to his classrooms; he finds himself a little more daring.

He doesn’t know yet if it’s foolish of him to let the boys so close, they’re a witch and a wolf, and he’s a fae. His kind usually kept to themselves, all settled by big forest areas or near the sea, they were ones to bound in small groups and usually all of them were fae. For them to be bonded to other beings was especially difficult, they made the swaying process unstable. To think of the prospect that whatever small closeness he’d managed to get to the other boys could shatter at any moment made him want to go back to his solitude, but the very small probability that they would actually stich and bond was so much brighter than anything else.

Seoul had a couple of museums, all full of art and relics that he thought both him and Seungmin could enjoy, and that they could team up to try to get Jeongin into appreciating art beyond thinking that it was a collection of pretty places for dust to settle.

Seoul’s Museum of Magical Artefacts and Ancient Arts was the most popular place online, all shiny floors and millenium old pieces that held all kinds of magic and magick on them, energy always high and vibrant, it was worth for Felix to get out of his comfort zone for a while.

“That’s definitely a severing knife. Not very nice for you to look at, I guess” A voice said behind from where Felix was standing and looking at the glass display like it had offended him, the man clearly worked at the museum if the suit and lanyard were to be believed “It hasn’t been used in centuries, as you know; severing is illegal now. But it’s a very beautiful piece of work, it was handmade and the stones on the handle are all still charged.”

“It gives me the creeps” Felix answered; it was indeed quite a gruesome sight.

Even if the knife was pretty and ornated, as it was used ritualistically, it was a clear reminder of a darker age for his kind.

“With all reason. History can be a way to see how cruel we’ve been to ourselves and to others. I work with these things and I’m still a bit icky about going near the stakes, even if all the display ones are unused they give me bad vibes. These little things are here to remind us of who we used to be but also to motivate us to do better now” The man said, his hair was a very washed out green color and his voice made Felix want to spend the day listening to him “Traditions are not always the best to uphold. To adapt and change with the times can be a part of growth for any culture. The seelies learning to “ _lie_ ” is part of evolution, for them to cut their tongues seems like an awful thing for us now.”

“I’m very bad at it, you know? Twisting my truths” Felix admitted.

“I can see it, but that’s not a bad thing” The man said with a kind smile “Do you have a guide already, or are you going on your own?”

“I’m on my own, I’m not staying long” Felix answered, he was just trying to see if the promises that the internet made about the place were truth; it seemed like a wonderful date location online.

“Well, I could offer my services for a little while, if you wanted. I’m not usually on the main floor but you seem like the type of person I could make an exception for” The man’s smile had already sealed Felix’s fate “My name is Chan, and I’m a curator here. Most of these pieces have been handled by me at least once, so you’ll be on great hands”

“How could I say no after that, then?” The fae was not used to talking to strangers but Chan had a very calming aura about him, and he’d been getting better at socializing “I’m Felix”

“Alright then, Felix. Follow me, we have a whole section on artifacts made by the fae and not for them, I’m sure you’re going to love it” Chan directed him with that kind smile of his.

Felix had contemplated two coffee shops and a full on brewery for the oh-so-called date that he had promised his new friends, but as Chan talked him through the wonders of the past and showed him things that he knew about and things he’d never heard of, he decided that maybe this was the place after all. It was wonderful and the company had made it a thousand times better. 

Now, if only Felix was a little bit braver…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Felix protection squad activated


	7. Together

Chan loved his job. He loved art with all of his unbeating heart, it was what gave him drive and gave meaning to his existence. Without art, he thought, he might as well be actually dead. Working for the Seoul’s Museum of Magical Artefacts and Ancient Arts was like a dream, never mind the long hours and the piles of dust he had to sit through on a day of looking at things that were -for once- older than him.

His office was small and cramped, full of books and random objects that had been deemed not special enough (or too cursed) to be put on display but too valuable to turn away or destroy, he had a small collection of trinkets that sat all around his shelves and made the magic in the room hum and even sing to him some times. It was no place for people to visit, least of all magick experts that had years of experience and more qualifications that Chan could remember.

Definitely it was no place for Kim Woojin.

 “Sorry about the clutter, just… things I’m working on” Chan said as he welcomed the elven to his disaster “We can sit by the window, it’s a nice view from here”

“Thank you, it’s fine. Really.” The other man said, his voice polite but obviously amused by Chan’s frantic attempt to clean the small coffee table by the window “It was a surprise to be called in. The place is alright, it’s alive; I like it”

“Alive is a way to put it” Chan laughed and finally cleared enough space for the both of them to sit comfortably “Can I offer you anything to drink? I have coffee and tea, also some moonshine but don’t let that information leave this room”

“Tea is fine” Woojin laughed, taking in the view to the open floor downstairs, it was indeed very nice “Do you have the object ready?”

“Yes! I was up all night trying to de-curse it enough but I don’t have half the experience or the talent you do” Chan admitted as he tried to do all of the things at once. Getting the water heating, the cups ready, and reaching for the black box that contained a very small but very cursed elven dart. “It’s beautiful work, I wanted to display it but it’s fighting me back”

“I’m sure you’re even better than me, it’s just that elven magick can be tricky for other beings” Woojin stood up and took the box from Chan before going back to his spot “Don’t sell yourself so short, you’re the resident here, aren’t you? I’m just a consultant”

“I’ll take your word then, Mr. Expert” They both laughed as Chan set their tea cups on the table “What do you think then?”

Woojin was very famous around the curators, every so often they would get very old elven objects that were impossible to crack and he would be the one always on call, he was smart and quick, his hands worked wonders on very short periods of time and his expertise was highly sought after. It was just unfair, Chan thought, that the elf was so young and talented. No one should ever be allowed to be as perfect as Kim Woojin.

Now, looking at him open the box and marvel at the dart was an experience, the way his eyes lit up and his fingers sparkled with energy that recognized its kin, it was wonderful.

“Oh! She’s a beauty! Look at these marks; they’re made with blood paint. Guess you knew that one already” Woojin laughed, it was the sound of wind chimes on a summer day “And the needle, oh she’s still sharp and thirsty, here’s where your problems are”

Woojin turned the dart to show Chan the very tip of the object, the sharp point of the dart was not straight but had a slight curvature for poison to rest in.

“She still has some intention on her, fully elven, she’s seething in rage and pain” Woojin explained “You can’t really see it because you don’t handle magick like we do, but it’s like there’s a small amount of wine-colored liquid there.”

“It’s probably older than both of us combined, it’s been holding and stewing for that long, of course it was going to give you trouble. The good news is that since I can see it; I can take it out. The bad news is that if I do that then it will dull the feather on the tail, it’s been feeding on the curse for all of its life. It will be very pretty still but the golden specks on it will be gone.”

“Fascinating” Chan was trying his best not to look at Woojin like he had just whispered the secrets of the world to him, but it was not working so well for him. “Was it used for a revenge killing then? I was afraid that was the case, since we try not to display killing intents. Rituals barely get a pass as it is”

“Yes, sorry” Woojin sighed “If it was a hunting dart then the poison would be green or blue, not red, specially not this dark of a red”

“I suspected as much, as you said; I could tell the blood paint apart” Chan sighed as well “I wanted to confirm it anyways. Do you need anything to remove it?”

“Five minutes, maybe?” Woojin answered and licked his lips “Also, put a lot of sugar on that tea, might need it as well”

“Can I watch?” Chan’s voice was uncertain on the question, he wasn’t sure if it would be rude.

“Sure. Just don’t talk to me until I’m done” Woojin laughed, his back straightening “Wish me luck”

Chan wasn’t sure what he expected, he usually left elven things to Bambam as he had two full elven boyfriends that could help him if needed, but this made him realize he’d been missing out. Woojin’s posture didn’t change much, and to the untrained eye it would seem he was just holding the dart to his lips as he remained still, eyes closed. To Chan, a trained eye, it was heartwarming to see he was releasing the poison on the air, letting it spill from the dart to his lips, finally to the room to be assimilated by all of Chan’s trinkets, taking the anger and pain and desperation that went into a killing curse and freeing it to be transformed into energy, raw and emotionless. It was making Chan’s room sing. Elves were peaceful creatures, their magick was usually calm and beautiful, to have something cursed enough to be able to kill was rare but valuable, it was a shame they probably wouldn’t display it as it would call shadows onto itself, even after the cleansing and curse-breaking.

“All better, now” Woojin said after a while, lowering the dart back to its box.

“Thank you” Chan said as he passed the elf a cup of overly sweet tea and looked at the dart, it was indeed a lot duller than before “I think the boss has to see it and decide now, I don’t think it’ll be displayed but we can still send it to the archive, it might even end up on someone’s collection”

“Like yours?” Woojin laughed, taking a sip of his tea “It feels like this place is crawling with energy that shouldn’t be compatible”

“Maybe. I don’t know about this one” Chan said as he gave the dart one last look and closed the box to be put away “They used to say vampires had no soul, and that the reason we didn’t reflect on mirrors was because of it. Really, we just absorb a lot more magic than we put out, and old mirrors were made of silver, overly charged metals don’t take well to beings that absorb their energies like sponges.”

“This room is indeed heavily charged, but because it’s my space and I’m here all of the time I just take most of the energy in here and balance it out. It makes this room a security hazard, if I’m honest, but it also makes it one of the best places on this building to sit and feel magic as it is; raw and with a life of its own. The witches love it here”

“I bet they do” Woojin smiled, and while his laugh had been beautiful; this was blinding “I quite enjoy it as well”

“You’re welcome whenever” Chan smiled back, not knowing that the elf thought of his smile twice of what he thought of his “I have coffee, and tea.”

“And moonshine, I was promised” Woojin gave him a small wink.

“Of course, that as well”

They both smiled at each other and drank their tea. It was a comfortable silence to be in, looking at a group of students that were touring the museum bellow, all young and excited from all the beautiful magic on the room.

“I might actually take you on that offer” Woojin said as he finished his cup and laid it down on the coffee table “I really do like it here”

“It stands, whenever you want” Chan’s cup was still half full but he put it down as well “Let me walk you out, I can even give you a small tour if you want”

“Of course,” Woojin said with a smile “Wouldn’t want to get lost”

“As if you could do such a thing” Chan laughed as they left the room.

Chan’s office was a mess. It was small and cramped, full of books and trinkets that hummed and sang, things that whistled and whispered hung from the ceiling, and objects that tapped and creaked rested on shelves. It was no place for experts to visit.

But if Kim Woojin said this place was now like home, then who was Chan to say otherwise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're already domestic, someone stop this train


	8. (Hopefully)

People thought that growing up had to be a process to take on your own. You had to be alone for it, so that you could only find yourself. No one else should be around for it or they could influence you, they could taint you or mark you; they could define you.

Jeongin thought they were crazy.

Growing up was boring.

It was painful and confusing. To think of doing it alone made him shiver and his lungs would scream at him, his heart racing and his palms sweaty. To think of doing it alone was just about the worst thing he could think of.

Witches were dead set on traditions but he was tired of them, he was still growing up and his goal was to get at least one friend to have around as he did, so that neither of them had to do it alone.

“You’ve been happier lately” Woojin said to him as he finished looking at his homework, there was a kind smile gracing his lips, he was a good student and his study sessions with the elder where more of a choice than a need “I’m happy for you”

“I met a friend. Actually; two.” Jeongin admitted, like it was a secret to keep instead of something anyone with eyes could see “I think it was thanks to you. How is it that you’re always behind the nice things in my life?”

“Oh, shut up, you” Woojin laughed and handed Jeongin his papers back “I’m just a tutor, and you’re a bright kid, of course you’d make friends. You’re young and growing”

“I know, and that’s the problem. Witches are meant to grow up alone” Jeongin pouted “Finding your core and all that jazz before you’re old enough to find a coven or something”

“You’re doing great as it is, you’re more human nowadays. No more baby fox, even if it makes me miss it sometimes. You’re in no rush to find a coven and you’re not exactly one I can see in a traditional one” Woojin laughed, and it was the sound of angels singing.

It made Jeongin long for something he felt like would never be.

“Is it really the truth that elves bond in pairs?” Jeongin’s mouth moved before he could catch up, the question had always burned on his mind but lately it was almost a painful thought to have.

“Yes. We do. We’re some of the few beings that are mostly monogamous in this earth, our souls are just not very big nor as connected to nature as yours are” Woojin’s voice was hiding the tiniest sliver of sadness in it “Elves, kitsunes and phoenixes… we’re few and lonely, so to even find another is already too much to us.”

“You make it sound like you’re somehow hard to love. Is it that you can’t or that you mostly don’t bond to multiple souls?”

“We can do it, just like witches can pair off instead of joining a coven, or how wolves can go packless because of choice, it just doesn’t happen as often and it takes some dedication for us to even notice when we’re being swayed” Woojin’s hands found Jeongin’s over the pile of papers on their table “I know you’re all about going against nature, but sometimes things just aren’t meant to be, or they’re simply not worth it. Better not said, so then they can’t hurt”

“But…”

“I’ll see you around, Jeongin” Woojin stood up and kissed his forehead “I hope your friends treat you well and keep you happy. You don’t have to grow up alone”

“I know” Jeongin looked at the elder’s back as he left the library, his mind reeling with things he wanted to say but then there was no one to say them to “You don’t have to grow up alone either.”

Woojin was too far away to hear it, but Jeongin meant it with all of his heart. The elf had said that sometimes it was not meant to be, and that he could respect because the fates had a plan for everyone and fighting it would be rushing head first into failure. But he’d also said that sometimes it was just not worth it, and that Jeongin couldn’t allow to be truth. If anyone was worth it in his eyes; it was Kim Woojin and his too kind of a heart.

He was going to make him see it just like he’d made Seungmin see he could loosen up; just like they’d made Felix see he could be a lot braver.

He was going to make Woojin see he was worth it.

 

* * *

 

 Jisung loved his friends. He did. He adored them as they were his source of energy and light. He wondered often what he would do without them and the answers were always grim and made him want to cry. He loved them for they were soft and kind, caring and loving, too much for the world to deserve them.

He loved Chan even if the vampire was too careless with himself, even if it forced him to be always on the lookout for when the oldest of them would start neglecting his sleep schedule, taking more hours at work, and drinking way less than he should. His heart was too big for how still it was, and yet, it seemed like Chan loved to care about everyone else in the world except himself.

That was Jisung’s job; to care for him after all.

He loved Changbin even if the witch was too careless with his heart, even if it meant Jisung had to stand always on guard because the other had decided to recklessly fall in love when they were not looking, always chasing after people that seemed impossibly unattainable and disruptive. Changbin’s routine was too strict for him to be finding extra corners to break away.

That was Jisung’s responsibility; to keep his rhythms in check.

In a moment in time he thought they would be it, the three of them against the world, but then Hyunjin had happened to Changbin, and then he had happened to all of them. His own first meeting with the witch had not been the best of them, but surely and slowly they had managed to get over the bad air between them and somehow, they had started swaying as well, it was ridiculous to Jisung to think he’d ever fall for someone like Hyunjin, and yet.

Minho had been a surprise to him as well. He already knew the fae as he worked in one of the best coffee shops near campus, he’d met him and promptly spent the afternoon sitting in a corner looking at him with puppy eyes, but if Minho said he cared little about witches it applied double for wolves, and so he had slowly gotten over it. Now they were both forced to look at each other when he visited the shop and think really hard about how they knew each other and knew there was a chance they would be swaying but they dared not to give it too much power by putting it into words.

And then there was the matter of Seungmin, one of the kids he shared a class with, as he was smart, beautiful and proud. Too proud for Jisung’s kind of wolf. And yet he’d seen him and his cute little thing of a boyfriend hauling around one of the people that were stealing Chan’s heart from him; Felix’s freckles were impossible to miss, even if their crowded college campus. He thought he could maybe see it happening with them as well, he was open to what the world had to offer him and as a wolf he had always dreamt of a big pack, but Seungmin’s special brand of not-dealing with people made him hesitate.

Swaying was complicated and everyone knew it but nothing had prepared him for such an ordeal.

It was driving Jisung insane with all the ways his friends were pulling him around.

Maybe they should have stayed three against the world.

 

* * *

 

Minho hated witches; he really did. Such words would hold much more weight if he wasn’t being courted by two of them ( ~~and their pack? Coven?~~ )at the moment and all of his defenses were failing him. It didn’t help that he was stressed about work and thinking about the boys (including now a very curious wolf) that would drop by sometimes just to pester him about whipped cream or ask him if he’d changed his mind about risking his emotional integrity for the sake of ephemeral love. It also didn’t help that it was finals week at the university and he’d had four kids break down in tears in his coffee shop.

And it was only Thursday!

“Please, for everything that’s sacred, don’t you dare start crying on my store! I refuse to have five full meltdowns in a week” He said, his words startling the poor soul that was sitting at the best corner table, the one with the electric outlet and all. He was cute, too old to be having a crying session in public, but he looked like a disaster. “Here’s your black coffee with extra ice, if you cry I’m charging you double”

“Sorry” The stranger said, his voice was shaky “Your table manners are spectacular, has anyone mentioned?”

“I’m a delight to be around, Mr. Gloomy” Minho looked at the other’s wrinkled shirt and the way his eye bags obscured what could have been a handsome face “I don’t take criticism from natural disasters, thank you”

“Fair enough, I’m a mess, aren’t I? Unbelievable” This was Minho’s only warning before the other started crying “Gaia! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for this to happen, but it’s been so hard these days. I’m supposed to be there for my friends but one of them is going around chasing after impossible people; he’s going to get his heart broken. And the other is getting fed up of having to rely on me for comfort because I’m unreliable like that; he’s going to leave me for sure. And then there’s these group of cute boys I’m interested in but they’re definitely out of my league. And I’m pretty sure I’ve slept like two hours and a half this week because I ran out of blood and coffee is the only thing keeping me going...”

“… and here I thought I had problems” Minho looked at him with pity, it seemed he was having a real rough time. Minho thought he was getting too soft and it was kind of annoying but he couldn’t find it in him to leave the other alone after that. “Dumb question, but… are you okay?”

“No” The other said “I’m not, but it’s fine. I’ll be fine. I’m just overreacting because I’m tired, but it’s fine. Sorry for upping your tally of people crying in the shop.”

“It’s okay, you’re by far the most reasonable crier I’ve had.” He smiled at the vampire “One kid actually had a full meltdown because he had put on his shirt inside out”

“That’s funny” The vampire stole some napkins and tried his best to dry his face “I’m still sorry about it, I’m way too old for these things. Swayings suck!”

“I hear you! They might be the reason I join you in the list for sixth crier of the week” Minho agreed “Who decided they needed to be such a stressful thing? Movies lied to me, they’re supposed to be magical and easy and always end well.”

“I know, right? I’m a hopeless romantic, it’s not my fault I have the emotional stability of a spun gnome” The vampire pouted, and it was the cutest thing Minho had seen all week “You’re so nice, if we weren’t such wrecks I would ask for your number, but swaying is what landed us here in the first place”

“oh yeah, don’t even think about it. I’ve had it with people declaring their love for me” This made them both laugh “but I get what you mean”

“Can we at least be friends? I don’t think I can even go to other coffee shop ever after this and I might need you to illegally smuggle my americanos for me” The vampire said with a smile, his eyes still red and puffy from crying “I’m Chan, by the way”

“Oh no, no.” Minho’s jaw had dropped at the words, along with his heart “Chan the vampire? Perfect-beyond-words-Chan? Has-it-all-under-control-all-of-the-time-Chan? Object-of-Changbin’s-adoration-Chan? The-reason-the-world-still-exists-and-world-peace-is-possible-if-Jisung-is-to-be-believed-Chan? Pretty-much-too-hot-for-words-according-to-actually-too-hot-for-words-Hyunjin? No way. This isn’t happening to me.”

“Wait, how do you know Binnie and Sungie and Jinnie?” Chan asked, confusion clearly written on his face “Oh no, don’t tell me you’re Minho. Don’t tell me that I picked the one coffee place out of the eight there’s on this block to have a mental breakdown.”

“I’m sorry” Minho couldn’t say anything else.

“Gaia” Chan’s breath picked up and he started crying again “Is destiny trying to kill me? I can’t believe this, and you’re so pretty and nice and it all makes sense, but you’re also breaking my friend’s heart and I want to not like you right now”

“Sorry” There was nothing else to say.

“Can we pretend this never happened?” The vampire asked “Start over, make my name Chris and pretend we have no distant ties to each other?”

“Most definitely, I’m going to be called LeeKnow and they misspelt my nametag, and I’m only a worker here who has never heard of you or your crew of adorable weirdos” Minho complied with a heavy sigh “I think I like Chris, he’s a mess and we both hate swayings”

“Definitely” Chan said with a watery smile as he downed his drink and gathered his things “Swayings suck”

“Yes, they do”

“They suck so bad, I hate them”

“Terribly so”

“Can Chris still come around for coffee?”

“As long as he’s just Chris, then yes”

“Great! See you around LeeKnow”

“See you around, Chris”

It had taken years for the fae to learn to lie, they had evolved more resistance and defiant genes, they got slowly better at bending reality to their will, pushing through heavy tongues that wouldn’t move to form the words until they were close enough to the truth to be considered as such, they had slowly but surely learnt to twist their world until the truth was no longer an absolute command to them. Minho was great at it, he had been always a dangerous fae to be around because he could pretty much straight up lie, threading his words so lightly that they became slaves to him and not the other way around.

 As seelies came; he was an excellent liar.

He looked at Chris go and tried to control his breathing, calming his crazy beating heart and trying to make sense of the mess they had become, he told himself this didn’t change a thing, this swaying was still too risky of a business; it was not worth the heartbreak.

He could do this.

They could be just friends.

For a liar, Minho was not doing so good at trying to lie to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3racha needs to stop making people fall in love with them.  
> So does Minho.


	9. Forever

Jisung was not a friend of helplessness. It was not a feeling he was familiar with as he tried his best to always look on the positive side of things and always would try to find something, he could fix whatever was broken. It was his way of being, he didn’t know how to give up until things were repaired.

This he couldn’t fix.

Wolves were social creatures, he needed a pack to belong to, never mind the size of it, and he knew as soon as he’d met every single of them that they were the ones. They were his.

And yet…

Pulling had started, slowly and painfully he could feel it in his bones. Changbin was swaying in the direction of (not so) impossible people, taking Jisung for the ride and putting stress on a bond that was already too frail, while Chan on the other hand had closed off his feelings; they all knew there were others besides the three of them but they dared not say it in fear it would hurt them.

It was hurting them anyways; they were a mess.

His little pack of three that had already been threading was now starting to pull apart, and the worst part of it was that no matter how much he thought about it: there was nothing he could do about it.

He tried, at first, to be optimistic, but this time it wouldn’t work. It was as clear as day in his mind and soul that these were his people, if he lost them, he would never find anyone that could replace them, destiny had given him his chance and he was losing it to cowering and fear, he could not take it.

“Guys, we need to talk”

The words were heavy on the air. The three of them were gathered in Chan’s small living room and they had been lazing around as they swallowed in self-pity, a sad pile of limbs that clung to each other in fear of letting go, feeling as their souls wanted nothing more than to become one but their heads wouldn’t let them.

“We need to do something about this, I can’t lose you” When everything else had failed him, Jisung thought, he could at least be honest “I really can’t”

“We’re not leaving you” Changbin’s voice was shaky, as he was trying to convince himself as well “I’m not, I can’t, I won’t”

“Can you leave Minho go, then?” He asked, and both of his boys tensed “Can I? I don’t think so, and I can’t let you go. I can’t let Hyunjin, Felix or even Seungmin go. Because I met you all and I saw you for real this time, my instincts know; you’re all the ones. If you go, I’m done for”

“So am I” Chan told them, his voice was firm as usual.

Chan carefully removed himself from their cuddle pile and stood up. He was biting his lip as he looked at the two boys that had started it all for him. There was something in his eyes that felt powerful, way more than what his wrinkled and coffee stained shirt gave away.

“I have an idea” He told them “But it might be our one and only chance, and if it fails…”

“Will it hurt more than never trying at all?” Changbin asked before Jisung could.

“No, I don’t think anything can hurt quite as much as never knowing”

“Then I’m in” Jisung said, and Changbin agreed without thinking.

Chan only kept staring at them, his silence said more than could be put into words, they were doing this and it was final.

They would be hopeless if they didn’t, and hopelessness was not a feeling either of them was familiar with.

 

* * *

 

 

Felix felt a little bit paranoid, like he was taking things as being bigger than they were, but there was a nagging in the back of his head that told him things were almost too perfect to be a coincidence.  His little world had been expanding way too fast for him to even register, but now that he had a second to himself, he could look back to the past few weeks and allow his fear to take hold again, he was being set up, he was sure of it.

First it had been Woojin, whom he knew about from all of Jeongin’s mooning, and then there had been Chan who had introduced them as he had invited Felix for a cup of coffee. Chan’s office was a place of wonders, so it had been normal at the time to note that Woojin had gotten distracted and overstayed to the point that his date with Chan had overlapped with Felix’s. It didn’t help that Chan had thought they would get along just fine and decided they could merge their social interactions. Woojin had been everything Jeongin had said and more, he was calm but funny, beautiful in ways that no other being but elves could be, tall and build for life in nature but softened by his scholar personality and wool sweaters, it had been almost unfair to Felix to expect him not to understand the love both Chan and Woojin had for the museum and find them endearing, to even stop thinking about them.

Then there had been Jisung, who seemingly shared a class with Seungmin and had finally taken the courage to talk to the other wolf, they had gotten along immediately, surprised that they had taken so long to invest into another of their own when they had been at hand’s reach. Jisung was a wolf in every other way than Seungmin was; he was louder, rougher, freer, and worse of all, touchier. Every time he joined them for lunch or passed them in the university hallways, he would greet them with a hand on their shoulders, a slap on the back, a kiss on the top of their heads… It was unfair to Felix to expect him not to get used to it and even start to crave it.

With Jisung came something else, thought, even worse than the wolf itself; the witches. Felix would be lying if he said he couldn’t understand how wolves fell in love in a second after meeting Changbin, his dark boy exterior easily melting away as he sat with them for a picnic and was dotted in affection from his little coven, soon to be expanded by Jeongin’s excitement to find not one, but two witches who were as extraordinary as he was, strays were hard to come by and finding people who understood had made his little face light up. It didn’t help that Seungmin couldn’t look at Hyunjin, for he seemed as blinded by his beauty as Felix’s was with Changbin’s. It had been almost unfair to Felix to expect him not to feel his courage building, his heart had been learning to walk but it was now running.

All of it, it almost seemed like a trap.

Especially when it started to become obvious that they were all somehow linked to each other; Chan was the subject of the witches’ adoration, Woojin and Jeongin had been subtly popping in their lives more often, Seungmin and Jisung had an affinity for imprinting on the same people, and Felix’s starry freckles had been a topic that Chan loved to talk about with anyone that had ears. They were all seemingly connected and attracted to each other, they were swaying.

Oh Gaia! They were swaying him and he didn’t know it.

It all came down to this moment, and he was allowed to be paranoid because there was no doubt about it anymore, not as he walked into his favorite coffee shop to see the vampire flirting with the only other fae Felix had ever met in Seoul, the one kind soul that had helped him adapt and feel somehow not so strange in the city, even if they only ever exchanged formal words and tried to keep out of each other’s hairs there was no question that Felix thought Minho was gorgeous, and having Chan there, pulling the final strings of their overly complicated puppet show, it was clear to Felix that he had been caught.

Whatever trap they were laying, whatever game they were playing; Felix had lost.

He didn’t know how to feel about it.

“Hey! Lixie, good to see you!” Chan greeted him as he finally caught his eye, his smile made something in Felix melt “Want to sit with me?”

“Oh no, you’re out of here today” Minho told the vampire, looking between him and the other fae boy, his eyes slightly panicked “Remember what we talked about, _Chris_.”

 “Right, I’m Chris” Chan said and his smile fell a little bit as he took his cup of coffee to go “See you later, Minnie.”

“What did I just say?” Minho’s voice would have been more threatening if he wasn’t smiling like a fool.

“Do I wait for you, or do you have plans already?” Chan asked Felix, who had been frozen at the door, looking at them interact “We can take a walk in the park if you have nothing else”

“Sure” Felix answered, he wanted to say something about it but couldn’t find it in him.

As he went to the counter and ordered some lavender tea, he tried his best not to look at Minho like he’d been caught, they both seemed to be in an agreement that ignoring the bouncy vampire by the door was in their best interests. As he took the warm paper cup from Minho’s hands, he couldn’t help but feel sad when their fingers brushed against each other, thinking of Seungmin and how happy he’d been to find another like him, thinking of how Jeongin had been thrilled to know he was not alone. Looking at Minho’s face he knew they were one and the same, but for some reason he couldn’t talk about it yet. It had been almost unfair to Felix to expect him to walk away, and to ignore the fact that he was most definitely some kind of in love.

 

* * *

 

 

Chan had been expecting it, he knew that sooner or later it would happen, that one of them would figure it out and then it would be game over, however, he wasn’t counting on Jeongin to corner him like this.

“I’m tired of it, Chan.” The witch told him as he held his hands, they were tucked in a corner of Chan’s office in the museum, he had nowhere to hide “This game of tug we’re playing, the way we seem to be trying to run away and win over each other… I’m tired. It keeps pulling at me and I want to just… Kiss you all!”

“I do too, I want to kiss all of you so badly” Chan told him, honesty was the only way to go from now “I’m tired of it all too, I want to stitch with you all so badly it hurts, you’re pulling me eight different directions and I want it to stop”

“What do we do? How do we make it happen?” Jeongin asked.

“It might not work, but I have an idea” Chan knew it was time, he felt it in the way his heart was aching with every beat of Jeongin’s that resonated in their linked hands.

“Count me in”

“Oh, baby boy, you’re already in it” Chan smiled and they both let out a small laugh at the cheesiness of it

 “Let’s just hope they’re all in it as well”

 

* * *

 

 

 “Are you sure about this?” Changbin asked for the hundredth time as he finished writing his letters

“Yes, I am” Chan told him, gathering his own letters and clutching them to his chest “We talked about this already.”

“You mean the staring fight from last time? That wasn’t a talk and you know it” Jisung intervened “It was just you not letting us tell you you’re an idiot”

“Which I should tell you again, you are” Changbin told Chan once again, they had been telling him all night and day “You’re such an idiot, and I love you so much for doing this but if you really think it won’t work, please don’t risk yourself for us. It might sound selfish but I’d rather know you’re around even if I can’t have you than to lose you because of this”

“Yeah, I don’t think I can bear the idea of you not being anymore, the earth is a better place with you here, and I love you too much to lose you in such a way” Jisung added.

“Gaia” Chan was close to tears, seeing the boys give his life such value, as he had been alone for a long time and had gotten used to not caring about what happened to him, this was way too much “I love you too, and that’s exactly why we have to do this”

“Carefully, thought”

“And it will work, I’m sure of it” Jisung and Changbin told him, Jisung had even moved to grab one of his hands away from his chest to kiss it “We’re doing this together, so no leaving”

“No leaving” Chan repeated and they all took a deep breath.

The words were echoing against the walls and against their chests, they were not leaving each other; they wouldn’t…

They couldn’t.

 

* * *

 

 

Out of everyone in the room, Woojin had the most to lose, he thought. Except maybe from Chan, that was. And yet, there he was, standing in the open space of Chan’s now empty living room, looking at all of the eight faces that gave him both nightmares and dreams, he was definitely not ready for this.

Woojin had told Jeongin that sometimes, some things just weren’t worth it, and he’d been honest then; he thought he wasn’t worth such a trouble, they maybe could have a nice coven without him. But now, looking at all of them he knew this was worth it all, they were made for him and he had been made for them, there was no doubt in his heart that the people in front of him were his once chance at proving himself worthy.

Jeongin with his beautiful smile and shining eyes, a boy he had loved since the first day he’d met him and had thought him a kitsune, a wayward soul just like him.

Seungmin with his careful words and bright mind, poised and proud in ways that made his heart soften at the sight, a boy too big for such a small world.

Felix with his anxious heart and his sun kissed skin, stars painted all over him in ways that made him want to investigate, to someday get to know every single one of them.

Jisung and his lovely laughter, the boy had a personality that made him believe he could make friends with the devil, way too kind and cheerful for the world they lived in.

Changbin with the kind heart and his raspy voice that made shivers run down his spine, eyes sharp and burning with passion, seeking just like his.

Hyunjin and his cute little body movements, too preoccupied by everything else to note the way his body swayed and seemed to dance at life’s rhythm, he was a beautiful wanderer and a sight to behold.

Minho with his worrying eyes, all pride off front but unable to hide the way his delicate hands would speak for him, maybe the only one as afraid as he was.

And then there was Chan, with his sturdy frame that seemed unbreakable, a strong wall that stood between them and the world, protecting them from reality, from everything that could go wrong.

Looking at them he knew, not one ounce of doubt was left in his heart; they were worth it.

“Are you ready?” Chan asked them and a collective sigh left them.

“As ready as well ever be” Minho answered, his voice was steady even if his frame was shaking “Let’s do this”

 

* * *

 

 

Jisung wasn’t a witch but he could still feel magic when it was strong around him, every creature on earth could do it when the occasion called for it, even the untouched could feel magic even if they would never perform it in any way or form. The magic in the room was stronger than anything he had ever felt before, he thought it would drive him insane if he stayed in it for too long.

Mana was a different kind of magic and only a few could use it, it was a force that fought you back and made you succumb to her if you weren’t strong enough, it was commanding and it stroke fear in the hearts of the weak. It was power refined and directed, it took a master hand to work with it and as he looked at Chan handle it he could understand why no one else but him could do it, the way his eyes glowed would seem unnatural in anyone else, the way the fire around them burned would have killed anyone else.

But not them, not now

Not Chan.

They all had gasped as they had felt it first, the tendrils of power going around the room, gently pulling at each of their own magics and stripping them bare to the soul, forcing them to look up and look at each other, finally. They all had thought for a second that it would hurt more, that it would be harder than this, that maybe they would fail, but suddenly the tension had broken and they had met in the middle, all of their energies combining and mingling with each other, all of the excess output going to Chan’s form, a mirror that took it all in and gave it back to them purer and softened.

They had been afraid of failing, but not of Chan failing them.

He wouldn’t.

Not now, not Chan.

And strangely enough, not them.

Jisung felt laughter bubble up in his chest as he looked at all of the eight other souls in the room and felt his claim take on them; they were his! He had foolishly thought that the half-formed bond that he had with Changbin and Chan would be enough, but there was no way it would ever hold a candle to what he was feeling now, it was like heaven had suddenly opened his gates and Gaia had showered them with all of her blessings.

“Estigia take me slower” Minho spluttered; his eyes full of tears “It’s working!”

“Don’t curse! There’s children present” Woojin laughed, he sounded half out of his mind

“Hey! I’m not a child!”

“I’m your equal now!”

“We’re literally bonding, you dumb elf!”

“I’m almost as old as you are, don’t let my looks fool you!”

“I can curse even worse!” Jisung joined the chorus of all of his barely-adults-soulmates, their offense not taken seriously.

“Hex Yeah! Atlas’s knees are shaking!” Changbin laughed as well, they were all feeling like the sky was the limit.

“Just a little longer” Chan said to them, it was unnecessary as they could feel it, but still helped them ground back “Uranos can _*******_ ”

“CHAN!” Woojin gasped.

And just like that it broke, the flames burst and it was over.

They all gasped

They were done, and they had done it. They were stitched together, souls knitted close and bodies suddenly pulling forwards to catch each other before they could fall even if their own legs could barely hold them.

As Jisung fell on his back on the pile that they were becoming in the middle of the floor he felt like he could cry out in relief, Minho and Woojin were definitely crying, so was Felix, and Changbin was two seconds away from it. Jeongin, Chan and Seungmin were laughing like maniacs and he joined them as his hands found Chan’s and Changbin’s, holding to them like his life depended of it, all of them were touching somewhere.

“I can’t believe we did it” Seungmin said.

“I can” Jeongin told him between his giggles.

“There was just no other option” Jisung offered, unhelpfully.

They all were exhausted, no matter how brief it had been, the minute and a half it took them all to stich had been the most demanding minute and a half of their lives, they were tired and contempt, all huddled together and sharing both body and soul warmth. This was it, all Jisung had ever wanted and he was so glad that the choices he’d made in his life had led him there, from moving to Seoul, to spilling coffee on a white shirt, to desperately crushing hands as he imprinted on people he loved, he was so thankful he couldn’t express it in words.

So, he didn’t.

He started singing, humming a love song that everyone knew but almost never got to sing as it was pretty much a love spell, weaved and crafted from the goddess heart itself. Soon the others joined him, Woojin and Seungmin’s melodic voice taking the melody from him and carrying it as the other voices gave them softer company and rhythmic support. It was pretty much the most beautiful sound they all had ever heard, and it was only the beginning, this was the start of their lives.

As Jisung listened to them he got softer, his voice mumbling as his eyes closed, his tired body finally giving up on him.

Drifting to sleep he couldn’t help but think this was what having a place to belong was like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... this is pretty much it.  
> Thank you for coming in this wild ride with me and them.


	10. And Ever

“Care to explain again?” The office lady looked at Chan like he was out of his mind.

“We don’t know what to register as” Jisung repeated to her.

“Did you not hear him?” Seungmin offered as well, frowning at her.

“How do you not know?”

“Well, you see, we have three witches so you’d think we’d be a coven…” Changbin started saying, but Minho took the words from him and continued “… but we also have two fae, so not exactly traditional, and that would be okay and fine, maybe a little out of norm, but then there’s the vampire…”

“…And the elf, who is in the social hierarchy higher than the rest…” Woojin added, as Felix clung to his right arm and Jeongin did the same to the other. Seungmin took advantage of this to steal the flow and finish their story “…If it weren’t for the wolves; there’s two of us.”

“Did you get it?” Hyunjin asked her, sandwiching himself in the middle of Minho and Changbin to get to Chan and lean over his shoulder to look at the poor confused lady in the eyes “I don’t even get it yet, but the thing is that we have a majority of witches but needier wolves and we don’t know what to do about that”

“I…” The lady was looking at the nine of them like they were crazy, and to be fair to her maybe they were.

“I’m sorry about them. I was just asking because I wanted to know what you’d recommend, thinking of any future emergencies and such, we don’t want any trouble with the council later” Chan, bless his soul, put on his most charming smile and allowed his voice to sooth the environment to reel it back into control.

“Well, if you put it like that… I would say go for a Pack; it’s the most flexible and puts priority on your needier members” She told them and handed Chan a handful of papers “You can start filling these and then hand them over to the main desk, it will take about a month before you’re approved and registered but it should be smooth sailing from there.”

“Thank you so much” Chan smiled at her once again, taking his mess of a pack with him.

“Ha! You owe me five dollars!” Jisung said to Changbin in a mocking voice “I told you, you witches are worthless”

“I’m worthless?” Jeongin asked, his most lethal weapon of fake sad eyes out for the kill.

“No, not you Innie, never you” Jisung threw himself at the witch and hugged him “Only Binnie and Jinnie”

“So, the whole -you guys are my entire world- speech was just mice tails?” Hyunjin laughed “And here I was, feeling special”

“You’re special to me” Woojin told them

“Yeah, and you’re definitely my entire world” Felix added, a smile on his face.

“Ew, you guys! Can we stop being gross in public?” Minho complained, going out of their way to drape himself on Chan as the vampire had left them be while he filled their register.

“You’re one to talk” Chan laughed and finished filling in their new address “I guess it’s done, we’re officially a pack. I can’t believe this.”

“I can” Seungmin smiled, it was a beautiful sight “I can’t imagine it any other way”

“Neither can I” They all agreed on that.

“So, from here onwards we’re legally one” Felix was almost vibrating from the excitement “I love you all so much”

“Yeah, we love each other so much; it’s disgusting” Minho said with a smile, taking his chance to grab both Felix’s and Woojin’s hands “Let’s do this so we can go home”

Chan looked at them all as he clutched the papers to his chest, this was it. After all they’ve been through, and how hard it had been for them to stich, this was the beginning of their new lives, they had not only a new place to call home; they had a whole new group of people to go back to, from now on and to forever.

 “Actually, she said it’ll take a month, so we can still go rogue!” Jisung offered, unhelpfully, and made them all groan.

Chan couldn’t wait to see what the fates had in stock for them now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok now this is it. Done.  
> I'm really thankful for everyone who gave me their precious time and read this whole mess.  
> Maybe I'll do a little extra but more like snapshots instead of a linear narration because as you probably realized reading this; I suck at it.  
> But we'll see.
> 
>  
> 
> Once Again; THANK YOU.


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